Marin Snapshot: A love of travel grows San Rafael woman's design business

AFTER 20 YEARS of designing neckties for men through her Mulberry Neckwear company, San Rafael resident Katie Smith decided it was time for a change.

In 2008 she started Rockflowerpaper in San Anselmo, a boutique offering home decor and women's clothing. The store is filled with scarves, tunics, shoes, handbags, place mats, foil serving trays, candles and numerous other items. Many of the products are designed by Smith's employees and then produced overseas.

Though she started her business right before the economic downturn, Smith's boutique has grown tremendously — now offering more than 800 products to 4,200 stores in the United States and 150 international accounts. She's even worked on custom projects for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ballard Designs and Coldwater Creek.

Q: So how did you get into the design field?

A: I studied international relations in college, and I came to it more through a love of other countries and travel. I make all the final decisions on a product and I sit with the designers, but I don't actually draw, paint or design. We collaborate on everything. I love to travel so this business affords me the opportunity to travel all over the world.

Q: Where are you able to travel?

A: I go to Vietnam to source our foil trays or India to meet a supplier. I love to be able to meet people, go to their homes and help them grow their businesses. I love India. We had the most outrageously wonderful trip to meet our suppliers. They had us to their homes, their clubs, you name it. Vietnam is pretty amazing, too. The people are very kind, and the food is extremely good.

Q: What advice would you give to people wanting to start a small business?

A: It's important to know the size you want your company to be before you start. Then you can build the infrastructure you need. I had a five-year plan, and I invested upfront to support that volume. I think that's really important. Buy the expensive software and systems. And make sure you have plenty of cash. It's always more expensive than you think. It took us two years to become profitable.

Q: How long have you lived in Marin County, and what do you like about the area?

A: I'm from Philadelphia originally, but I moved to Marin in 1989. I was living in San Francisco and I came out here because of the Mulberry Neckwear business. Then I fell in love with Marin. I hike a ton on Mount Tamalpais. I love it. It's a pretty phenomenal place to live with my husband and two sons, one of which is at college.